IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0576849
(2011-02-16)
|
등록번호 |
US-9279412
(2016-03-08)
|
국제출원번호 |
PCT/IL2011/000165
(2011-02-16)
|
§371/§102 date |
20120814
(20120814)
|
국제공개번호 |
WO2011/101847
(2011-08-25)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Greenblatt, David
- Sasson, Benyamin
- Schulman, Magen
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd.
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Roach Brown McCarthy & Gruber, P.C.
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
8 |
초록
▼
A control system is presented for controlling operation of a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) for generating energy from an incoming fluid flow. The control system comprises at least one flow affecting arrangement associated with at least one blade of the VAWT and a control unit connected to said f
A control system is presented for controlling operation of a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) for generating energy from an incoming fluid flow. The control system comprises at least one flow affecting arrangement associated with at least one blade of the VAWT and a control unit connected to said flow affecting arrangement, the flow affecting arrangement comprising two flow affecting units located in two opposite sides of the blade respectively at a leading edge thereof, each flow affecting unit being operable for creating a blowing jet at the respective side of the blade thereby inducing an increase in a fluid flow momentum, the control unit being configured and operable for selectively activating the flow affecting units in alternating fashion according to a predetermined time pattern to oscillate the blowing jet at the opposite sides of the blade.
대표청구항
▼
1. A control system for controlling operation of a wind turbine for generating energy from an incoming fluid flow, the control system comprising: at least one flow affecting arrangement associated with at least one blade of the wind turbine and a control unit connected to said flow affecting arrange
1. A control system for controlling operation of a wind turbine for generating energy from an incoming fluid flow, the control system comprising: at least one flow affecting arrangement associated with at least one blade of the wind turbine and a control unit connected to said flow affecting arrangement,the flow affecting arrangement comprising two flow affecting units located in two opposite sides of the blade respectively at a leading edge thereof, each flow affecting unit being operable for creating a blowing jet at the respective side of the blade thereby inducing an increase in a fluid flow momentum,a position detector operable for detecting a speed and position of the blade along a circular path during rotation of the turbine and generating speed data and position data indicative of said blade speed and blade position, respectively;a flow detector for detecting a speed and direction of the fluid flow, and for generating flow speed data and flow direction data indicative of said flow speed and said flow directions, respectively, with respect to the blade;the control unit being configured and operable for selectively activating the flow affecting units in alternating fashion according to a predetermined time pattern to oscillate the blowing jet at the opposite sides of the blade, said time pattern being such that at least one of the flow affecting units is active when angle of attack satisfies a predetermined condition, the control unit comprising a processor utility responsive to said blade speed data, said blade position data, said flow speed data, and said flow direction data, for monitoring a condition of the angle of attack, and upon identifying said predetermined condition generating control signal to at least one of the flow affecting units. 2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the flow affecting arrangement comprises an electrodes' arrangement defining two pairs of electrodes associated with the opposite sides of the blade, the control unit being configured and operable to selectively activate the electrode pairs to create said blowing jet in the form of a plasma jet in the vicinity of the respective side of the blade. 3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the electrodes' arrangement comprises two electrodes located at the opposite sides of the blade and being screened from the fluid flow and an electrode located at the leading edge of the blade between and spaced-apart from said two electrodes and being exposed to the fluid flow, each of said screened electrodes forming with said exposed electrode a respective one of said two pairs of electrodes. 4. The control system of claim 1, wherein the time pattern defines time intervals for operation of said at least one flow affecting unit, said time intervals corresponding to a downwind orientation of the blade side with which said flow affecting unit is associated. 5. The control system of claim 4, wherein said time intervals correspond to a position of said blade in an upwind portion of a circular path of the wind turbine VAWT with respect to the fluid flow direction. 6. A vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) for generating energy from an incoming fluid flow, the VAWT comprising at least one blade mounted for rotation along a circular path, and the control system configured according to claim 1. 7. A control system for controlling operation of a wind turbine for generating energy from an incoming fluid flow, the control system comprising at least one flow affecting arrangement associated with at least one blade of the wind turbine, and a control unit connected to said flow affecting arrangement, the flow affecting arrangement comprising at least one flow affecting unit located on at least one side of the blade at a leading edge thereof, the flow affecting unit being operable for creating a blowing jet at the respective side of the blade thereby inducing an increase in a fluid flow momentum, the control unit being configured and operable for selectively activate said at least one flow affecting unit according to a predetermined time pattern to oscillate the blowing jet, said time pattern being such that said at least one flow affecting unit is active when angle of attack satisfies a predetermined condition defining a relation between the angle of attack and a stall angle, the control unit operating said at least one flow affecting unit upon identifying that the blade's speed and position in a rotating wind turbine corresponds to the condition that the angle of attack is larger than the stall angle and terminates said flow affecting unit upon identifying that the angle of attack became smaller than the stall angle. 8. The control system of claim 7, wherein the flow affecting unit is in the form of a slot made in the respective side of the blade substantially at the leading edge thereof, said control unit being configured and operable for circulating a fluid flow through the hollow blade via an inlet made in one of the sides of the blade and said slot. 9. The control system of claim 7, wherein the flow affecting unit is in the form of a slot made in the respective side of the blade substantially at the leading edge thereof, the control unit comprising an oscillating valve controllably operable for selectively shifting the slot between its closed and open positions. 10. The control system of claim 7, wherein the flow affecting unit is in the form of a vortex generator shiftable between its first and second positions with respect to the respective side of the blade, said vortex generator when in the first position is inoperative with respect to the fluid flow and when in the second position is operative interacting with the fluid flow and inducing increase in the fluid flow momentum. 11. The control system of claim 7, comprising a blade detector operable for detecting a speed and position of the blade along a circular path during rotation of the turbine and generating blade speed data and blade position data indicative of said blade speed and said blade position, respectively; a flow detector detecting a speed and direction of the incoming fluid flow, and for generating flow speed data and flow direction data indicative of said flow speed and flow direction, respectively with respect to the blade; and a processor utility responsive to said blade speed data, said blade position data, said flow speed data, and said flow direction data, for monitoring a condition of the angle of attack, and upon identifying said predetermined condition generating control signal to at least one of the flow affecting units. 12. The control system of claim 7, wherein said processor utility is responsive to blade speed data, said blade position data, said flow speed data, and said flow direction data for identifying the blade position corresponding to downwind orientation of said side of the blade carrying the flow affecting unit and activating said flow affecting unit during said downwind orientation of the blade's side. 13. A control system for controlling operation of a wind turbine for generating energy from an incoming fluid flow, the control system comprising at least one flow affecting arrangement associated with at least one blade of the wind turbine, and a control unit connected to said flow affecting arrangement, the flow affecting arrangement comprising at least one flow affecting unit located on at least one side of the blade at a leading edge thereof, the flow affecting unit being operable for creating a blowing jet at the respective side of the blade thereby inducing an increase in a fluid flow momentum, the control unit being configured and operable for selectively activate said at least one flow affecting unit according to a predetermined time pattern to oscillate the blowing jet, wherein said time pattern is such that said at least one flow affecting unit is activated when the respective side of the blade is downwind oriented with respect to the fluid flow. 14. The control system of claim 13, having one of the following configurations: (a) the flow affecting unit is in the form of a slot made in the respective side of the blade substantially at the leading edge thereof, said control unit being configured and operable for circulating a fluid flow through the hollow blade via an inlet made in one of the sides of the blade and the slots; (b) the flow affecting unit is in the form of a slot made in the respective side of the blade substantially at the leading edge thereof, the control unit comprising an oscillating valve controllably operable for selectively shifting each of the slots between its closed and open positions; and (c) the flow affecting unit is in the form of a vortex generator shiftable between its first and second positions with respect to the respective side of the blade, said vortex generator when in the first position is inoperative with respect to the fluid flow and when in the second position is operative interacting with the fluid flow and inducing increase in the fluid flow momentum. 15. A method for controlling operation of a wind turbine for generating energy from an incoming fluid flow, wherein said wind turbine comprises at least one blade having at least one active side associated with at least one controllable flow affecting arrangement, the method comprising: monitoring a speed and orientation of the incoming fluid;monitoring a speed and orientation of said at least one blade of the rotating wind turbine;analyzing data indicative of the speed and orientation of the incoming fluid and data indicative of speed and orientation of said at least one blade, and determining said blade's orientation and an angle of attack relative to said incoming fluid; andselectively operating said at least one controllable flow affecting arrangement for increasing momentum of a first portion of said fluid flowing on said active side, upon identifying that said active side is downwind oriented with respect to the incoming fluid flow and that said angle of attack satisfies a predetermined condition. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said blade comprises two active sides opposite to each other with respect to a chord of said blade. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising controlling operation of the two active sides to ensure that when the flow affecting arrangement on one of the active sides is operative, the flow affecting arrangement on the opposite side is inoperative to thereby ensure that momentum is not increased on a second portion of said fluid flowing along said opposite active side. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein said condition defines a relation between said angle of attack and a stall angle. 19. The method of claim 15, comprising operating the flow affecting arrangement upon identifying that the respective blade is positioned in an upwind portion of a circular path of the wind turbine with respect to the fluid flow direction. 20. A control system for controlling operation of a wind turbine for generating energy from an incoming fluid flow, the control system comprising: at least one flow affecting arrangement associated with at least one blade of the wind turbine and a control unit connected to said flow affecting arrangement,the flow affecting arrangement comprising two flow affecting units located in two opposite sides of the blade respectively at a leading edge thereof, each flow affecting unit being operable for creating a blowing jet at the respective side of the blade thereby inducing an increase in a fluid flow momentum, the flow affecting unit comprising an electrodes' arrangement defining at least two pairs of electrodes associated with the opposite sides of the blade, including at least two electrodes screened from the fluid flow and an electrode located at the leading edge of the blade between and spaced-apart from said at least two electrodes and being exposed to the fluid flow, each of said screened electrodes forming with the exposed electrode a respective one of said at least two pairs of electrodes,the control unit being configured and operable for selectively activating the flow affecting units in alternating fashion, by activating the electrode pairs, according to a predetermined time pattern to oscillate the blowing jet at the opposite sides of the blade and create said blowing jet in the form of a plasma jet in the vicinity of the respective side of the blade. 21. A control system for controlling operation of a wind turbine for generating energy from an incoming fluid flow, the control system comprising at least one flow affecting arrangement associated with at least one blade of the wind turbine and a control unit connected to said flow affecting arrangement, the flow affecting arrangement comprising two flow affecting units located in two opposite sides of the blade respectively at a leading edge thereof, each flow affecting unit being operable for creating a blowing jet at the respective side of the blade thereby inducing an increase in a fluid flow momentum, the control unit being configured and operable for selectively activating the flow affecting units in alternating fashion according to a predetermined time pattern to oscillate the blowing jet at the opposite sides of the blade, the time pattern being such that at least one of the flow affecting units is active when angle of attack satisfies a predetermined condition defining a relation between the angle of attack and a stall angle, the control unit operating at least one of the flow affecting units upon identifying that the blade's speed and position in a rotating wind turbine correspond to the condition that the angle of attack is larger than the stall angle and terminates said flow affecting unit upon identifying that the angle of attack became smaller than the stall angle. 22. The control system of claim 21, comprising a position detector operable for detecting a speed and position of the blade along a circular path during rotation of the turbine and generating speed data and position data indicative of said blade speed and blade position, respectively; a flow detector for detecting a speed and direction of the fluid flow, and for generating flow speed data and flow direction data indicative of said flow speed and said flow directions, respectively, with respect to the blade; and a processor utility responsive to said blade speed data, said blade position data, said flow speed data, and said flow direction data, for monitoring a condition of the angle of attack, and upon identifying said predetermined condition generating control signal to at least one of the flow affecting units. 23. The control system of claim 21, wherein the flow affecting arrangement comprises an electrodes' arrangement defining at least two pairs of electrodes associated with the opposite sides of the blade, the control unit being configured and operable to selectively activate the electrode pairs to create said blowing jet in the form of a plasma jet in the vicinity of the respective side of the blade. 24. The control system of claim 23, wherein the electrodes' arrangement comprises two electrodes located at the opposite sides of the blade and being screened from the fluid flow and an electrode located at the leading edge of the blade between and spaced-apart from said two electrodes and being exposed to the fluid flow, each of said screened electrodes forming with said exposed electrode a respective one of said two pairs of electrodes. 25. The control system of claim 21, having one of the following configurations: (a) the flow affecting unit is in the form of a slot made in the respective side of the blade substantially at the leading edge thereof, said control unit being configured and operable for circulating a fluid flow through the hollow blade via an inlet made in one of the sides of the blade and the slots; (b) the flow affecting unit is in the form of a slot made in the respective side of the blade substantially at the leading edge thereof, the control unit comprising an oscillating valve controllably operable for selectively shifting each of the slots between its closed and open positions; and (c) the flow affecting unit is in the form of a vortex generator shiftable between its first and second positions with respect to the respective side of the blade, said vortex generator when in the first position is inoperative with respect to the fluid flow and when in the second position is operative interacting with the fluid flow and inducing increase in the fluid flow momentum. 26. A control system for controlling operation of a wind turbine for generating energy from an incoming fluid flow, the control system comprising: at least one flow affecting arrangement associated with at least one blade of the wind turbine, the flow affecting arrangement comprising at least one flow affecting unit located on at least one side of the blade at a leading edge thereof, the flow affecting unit being operable for creating a blowing jet at the respective side of the blade thereby inducing an increase in a fluid flow momentum;a blade detector operable for detecting a speed and position of the blade along a circular path during rotation of the turbine and generating blade speed data and blade position data indicative of said blade speed and said blade position, respectively;a flow detector detecting a speed and direction of the incoming fluid flow, and for generating flow speed data and flow direction data indicative of said flow speed and flow direction, respectively with respect to the blade; anda control unit connected to said flow affecting arrangement, the flow affecting arrangement comprising at least one flow affecting unit located on at least one side of the blade at a leading edge thereof, the flow affecting unit being operable for creating a blowing jet at the respective side of the blade thereby inducing an increase in a fluid flow momentum, the control unit being configured and operable for selectively activate said at least one flow affecting unit according to a predetermined time pattern to oscillate the blowing jet, the control unit comprising a processor utility responsive to said blade speed data, said blade position data, said flow speed data, and said flow direction data, for monitoring a condition of the angle of attack, and upon identifying said predetermined condition generating control signal to at least one of the flow affecting units. 27. The control system of claim 26, wherein said time pattern is such that at least one of the flow affecting units is active when angle of attack satisfies a predetermined condition. 28. The control system of claim 27, wherein said predetermined condition defines a relation between the angle of attack and a stall angle. 29. The control system of claim 28, wherein the control unit operates at least one of the flow affecting units upon identifying that the blade's speed and position in a rotating wind turbine correspond to the condition that the angle of attack is larger than the stall angle and terminates said flow affecting unit upon identifying that the angle of attack became smaller than the stall angle. 30. The control system of claim 27, wherein the flow affecting unit is in the form of a slot made in the respective side of the blade substantially at the leading edge thereof, said control unit being configured and operable for circulating a fluid flow through the hollow blade via an inlet made in one of the sides of the blade and the slots. 31. The control system of claim 27, wherein the flow affecting unit is in the form of a slot made in the respective side of the blade substantially at the leading edge thereof, the control unit comprising an oscillating valve controllably operable for selectively shifting each of the slots between its closed and open positions. 32. The control system of claim 27, wherein the flow affecting unit is in the form of a vortex generator shiftable between its first and second positions with respect to the respective side of the blade, said vortex generator when in the first position is inoperative with respect to the fluid flow and when in the second position is operative interacting with the fluid flow and inducing increase in the fluid flow momentum. 33. A control system for controlling operation of a wind turbine for generating energy from an incoming fluid flow, the control system comprising at least one flow affecting arrangement associated with at least one blade of the wind turbine and a control unit connected to said flow affecting arrangement, the flow affecting arrangement comprising two flow affecting units located in two opposite sides of the blade respectively at a leading edge thereof, each flow affecting unit being operable for creating a blowing jet at the respective side of the blade thereby inducing an increase in a fluid flow momentum, the control unit being configured and operable for selectively activating the flow affecting units in alternating fashion according to a predetermined time pattern to oscillate the blowing jet at the opposite sides of the blade, the time pattern defining time intervals for operation of said at least one flow affecting unit, said time intervals corresponding to a downwind orientation of the blade side with which said flow affecting unit is associated.
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